fly fishing on the Rio Maullin River
Most of the time people cruising together stick together in port and do the same thing, but it’s certainly not required. If one person wants to do something and the other would rather do something else it’s perfectly fine to each do your own thing. That’s what we did in Puerto Montt, Chile on our cruise to Antarctica on Holland America Oosterdam. Puerto Montt offered a river rafting excursion, which I really wanted to do and John wanted no part of. It also had a fly-fishing excursion. He loves to fish and I don’t. So we each did our own thing at that port. I had a great time river rafting and he enjoyed his chance to go fishing. A lot of times cruise ship fishing excursions get cancelled so he was really happy this one actually happened. The rest of this blog is his story from that excursion.
Chilean flag
Puerto Montt Chile, our first port of the Antarctica cruise, had many things to do. I choose to fly fish the Rio Maullin River in a unique part of Patagonia. Typically, most fly anglers fish the East Coast of Patagonia in a more arid desert-like climate. But here, on the West Coast in Chile, Patagonia has a more forested landscape.
rafts on the beach
After exiting the ship, seven other anglers joined me on a small tour bus that drove an hour through dirt and gravel roads. At the end of the road the slow meandering river emerged from the forest. Four inflatable fly-fishing rafts waited along with guides holding fly rods. Each raft would take two anglers, one on each end and the guide in the middle with oars. Prior to launching the boats each angler cast the fly rod for the guides to evaluate skill levels. Of the eight anglers three choose to use spin rods.
getting ready to go
One at a time, spaced a couple minutes apart, the rafts departed into the slow-moving water. Along the banks native fuchsia plants in full bloom provided a colorful backdrop and reflections nearshore. Some areas also had native bamboo plants that stretched high into the sky. My first cast with the fly landed exactly where the guide pointed. Our guide told us brown trout weighing up to five pounds and smaller rainbow trout would be our target species. Small streamer flies cast and then quickly “stripped” while holding the rod tip just above the water would hopefully attract a bite.
fish on
Some anglers say fly fishing is a sport of a thousand casts, but not today. Within about 20 casts something grabbed my fly, followed by a brief fight before losing the fish. Someone on the boat behind us hooked up too but also lost the fish. As we drifted downstream the guide speaking in broken English would say “change colors please.” With most anglers he would tie on the fly for the angler. In my case he let me tie my own flies onto the light leader. Casting the five-weight fast action IM6 rod was fairly easy for me. This guide company, River Flow Chile, actually had very high-quality rods and gear. The guides were excellent and patient too. These guides knew the river well and pointed out every holding spot where anglers can safely make a cast. Some great looking water had underwater snags and the guide pointed those out and said “no cast.”
little fish
My first fish to the boat only measured about 10-inches but provided a fun fight on the light rod. Mission accomplished, my first Patagonia fly-caught fish. After a quick picture I released the fish. The next fish I landed measured about 16 to 18-inches but we failed to get any pictures of it so you will have to trust my size estimate. All totaled during the roughly four-hour float, I had 11 bites and landed just three brown trout.
fishing flies
The three anglers who decided to use spin gear caught five to 10 fish each. Again, anglers may choose to use fly gear or spin gear. Without question, the spin gear caught way more fish. The angler I shared a boat with did not land a single fish because of his lack of skill. I suggested he try the spin gear but he adamantly said he would rather catch no fish on the fly rod than use spinning gear. If you are a first-time fly angler you should try to cast the fly. However, if you fail at fly casting give the spin gear a try as you will likely catch a brown trout within a few minutes. It just depends on your goals. Most anglers who choose this shore excursion have some experience fly fishing.
wild fuchsia
Even if you don’t have experience fly fishing this ship’s excursion is worth doing regardless of whether or not you ever cast a fly or spinner. Experiencing this amazing part of Patagonia is worth the price. At the end of the float the pickup crew awaits with a lunch spread complete with snacks, sandwiches, water, soft drinks, beer and wine. Overall, I highly recommend this trip. For more information you can call +56 9 9423 2399 or check them out on Instagram at @riverflowchile
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